It was Halloween, my favorite holiday. The year was
2014 and I was excited because I had plans for that night. My friend
Kandise and I went to Field of Screams, an extravagant event with
haunted houses, haunted hayrides, haunted asylums,
the list goes on. As a fan of horror and the macabre, I was in my
element. It was going to be a great night, I just knew it. I could feel
it in my gut.
While Kandise and I waited in line, we began to
talk to the guy that was in line behind us. I don’t remember who started
talking to whom first – all I knew was that Robert had the most
beautiful grey eyes I had ever seen and his voice vibrated
throughout my body every time he spoke. He was originally from
Massachusetts and had moved to Pennsylvania due to his job – he was a
recruiter, although I don’t recall him mentioning what he was recruiting
for.
Robert and I had a lot in common. We both grew up
in New England states, both love the theater and dramatic things. We
both loved the night and Halloween. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t
smitten with the man I just met.
The three of us eventually made it to the front of
the line and were lucky in that we were able to enter together. Robert
decided to go through the attraction with Kandise and I, and I was
delighted.
As we entered the dark woods, I was first to go in,
and Kandise positioned herself in between Robert and myself. She needed
a bit of a heads up when things would pop out so she wouldn’t
accidentally punch a “monster” in the face. I understood
that was why she did it, but I was pissed regardless, because I wanted
to be near Robert. At first, everything was quiet – we walked by a few
witches, and a few corpses, but nothing truly exciting was happening. As
if reading my mind, Robert expressed his
disappointment at that very moment.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” I couldn’t help but to say.
“Well, great minds think alike, Jen.” His words
enveloped me and chills of excitement coursed through my body. God,
could this guy be any hotter? Just as I turned my head to smile in his
direction, I was jumped from both sides by a gang
of crazed looking murderous clowns. One of them grabbed me by my arms
and they startled a gasp from my surprised lips. The gasp quickly turned
into laughter. Finally, the fun was about to start.
“Oh hell no!” Kandise said. “If anybody fucking
grabs me, I’m sending them to the hospital.” I turned around to face
Kandise, worry lines etched on my face.
“Uh, Kandise…” I started, but she immediately cut me off.
“No, Jen. I can’t do this. Not if they’re going to be touching me.” Just then, Robert swooped in and saved the day – err, night.
“I have a friend that works here, I’ll text him and
tell him to come get you, and he can get you out through a side door.”
Robert pulled out his phone and called his friend. After explaining the
situation, he hung up and told us his friend
would be here in a few minutes. “He said he isn’t far from us, to look
out for Dracula.”
“Thanks.” Kandise and I said in unison.
Now, as her friend, what I should have done – what I
would have done in any other circumstance was to leave with her and
call it a night. Maybe find something else for us to do. But I wasn’t
ready to leave Robert. I didn’t know how to flirt
or how to give someone my number or ask them out, but I wanted to ask
Robert out. I needed more time to get the courage to do so. So
essentially, I asked Kandise if I could ditch her.
“Kandise, um, would you be mad if I went through
without you? I know you’d be waiting in the truck, but I really want to
do this. Please. You know how badly I love this stuff.” I gave her my
best puppy dog look, knowing it wouldn’t work.
“Sure,” Kandise said with a smirk. “But only if Robert stays with you. I
don’t care if this is fake, I’d feel better if you weren’t in here
alone.”
My eyes bounced to Robert, trying to gauge his reaction.
“Of course I’ll stay with her. I was planning on it
all along.” Robert’s smile both melted my insides and I was too giddy
to contain my excitement.
“Yay.” I jumped up and quickly blushed. I was
acting like a 10 year old in front of the hottest guy I had seen in a
very long time – way to go Jen! But to my surprise Robert laughed and
walked up to me. He was a few inches from me, completely
invading my personal space and I didn’t mind one bit.
“I’m glad you’re as excited to spend time with me as I am to spend time with you.”
Oh lordy lordy lordy!
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say
anything. I just gave him a nervous laugh and tried to create some
distance between us. Like I said, I wasn’t good at this sort of thing.
But my reaction seemed to delight Robert, he just chuckled
and grabbed hold of my hand.
Just then a tall guy wearing very impressive teeth
and a cape walked up to us. It was Dracula. Time to say goodbye to
Kandise and have some fun!
Yes, I know how totally messed up that sounded. I blame the hormones.
Robert and his friend just nodded to one another and then Dracula was ushering Kandise through a patch of trees.
“Have fun.” Kandise said, as she and Dracula disappeared.
Before I had a chance to respond, I felt a tug on
my hand. Robert was pulling me and we resumed our walk through the
haunted forest. Just like the first time, nothing exciting seemed to
happen at first, and then, it was as if Robert and
I were the only 2 humans in the woods and we were being attacked from
all directions by all kinds of beasts. They were loud and in your face.
They pulled at my clothes and my hair. In the distance I could hear
screams, but I didn’t scream, I enjoyed it all.
It was fake after all, and I was with Robert, whose hand never let go
of mine. I tried to take it all in, all the costumes, all the sounds, it
was overwhelming in a great way.
I saw Robert look back at me. “Are you ok?” He asked.
“Yeah. I’m great!” We laughed, and Robert pulled me closer to him.
“You really like this stuff, huh?”
“I love it.”
“What’s your favorite?”
“Vampires. But not like your buddy Dracula. I like when they seem more real. The cape and the super white face, it’s comical.”
Robert stopped midway through a clearing. “You like real vampires?”
“Well, I know they’re not real.” I said quickly, trying to get my point
across. I didn’t want him to think I was wacko. “But…well, you know. I
like when they portray vampires as unassuming at first, and then
dangerous. Yeah, I find the idea of vampires romantic
in a way, but it isn’t supposed to be pretty. They’re not supposed to
sparkle. They’re supposed to take you by force, rip your throat out and
ravage you as your warm blood trickles down your body. I find that hot.”
Robert didn’t say anything, and I was pretty sure I completely screwed
up. I went on one of my crazy vampire tangents and now this guy, this
perfect guy, would go from thinking I was quirky to downright nuts.
Before I could even muster anything to say, Robert
pulled me so hard and fast I would have fallen on the ground if I hadn’t
collided with his hard chest. The hand that was holding mine was now on
the side of my neck.
“I would love to ravage you,” he practically growled, his lips lightly
caressing mine before placing a hard kiss on my neck. “I wouldn’t rip
your throat out though…” I could feel his teeth slightly gracing my neck
and I it took all the will power I had not
to drop to my knees in front of him. I couldn’t feel my knees. I
couldn’t feel my legs at all, actually. But there were other things I
could feel. Other body parts that were alive and humming.
“Would you like that, Jen?” Robert whispered in my ear. “Would you like me to ravage you.”
“Fuck, yes.” I thought I had said that in my head, but apparently I also
said it out loud because a split second later I felt a sharp pain
stabbing my neck. I didn’t scream, and I wasn’t frightened. The pain
made my panties wet and a moan escaped my lips. I
could feel Robert’s other hand wrap around my body. I could hear him
drinking from my neck. I could feel my nipples harden against his chest
and could feel him harden against my groin. I wished we were naked. That
was the last thought I had before I blacked
out.
***
When I awoke, I was alone. I was still in Field of
Screams, though I was indoors. I don’t know how I knew I was still
there, but I could feel it. I could also sense that it was late. I
wanted to get up from the floor, but I didn’t have
the energy.
I thought about Kandise. Wondered if she was still in the parking lot. Was she worried about me? Was she looking for me?
I reached into my jean pocket and pulled out my
cell phone. The clock read 1:15 a.m. “Shit.” I dialed Kandise’s number. A
second later, I heard her ringtone go off. I quickly sat up and looked
around the room. A dim light engulfed the room
in an eerie glow. Blood and body parts lay strewn about. No sign of
Kandise.
I tried to stand up. I needed to find Kandise’s
phone and then Kandise herself. But before I had the chance to stand up,
I sensed I wasn’t alone anymore.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you. You’re very weak.”
Robert emerged from the shadows. One look at him and all the events that
led up to this moment came rushing back. My hand flew to my neck, where
Robert had bitten me. As I felt the two puncture
wounds on my neck, my eyes locked with Robert’s. My breath caught on an
inhale – or maybe a gasp, I wasn’t sure. My mind was telling me I
should be terrified. I tried to convince myself. But looking at Robert,
knowing what he was, what he did, turned me on.
“I’m glad you’re not afraid,” Robert said.
“You can read my mind,” I said matter-of-factly.
“I can. You can too, if you want.”
“Am I - ”
“Not yet. I would never turn you by force. You have
a choice, Jen. Human or vampire? But before you decide, listen to what I
have to say. I know you feel it, this attraction between us, it isn’t
normal. It’s like two magnets coming together.
I can give you everything you desire. I can show you the world, give
you powers beyond imagining. You’d be stronger, and faster. You’d have
the ability to read people’s minds, and of course, you’d live forever.
With me.”
“All you have to do,” continued Robert. “Is say
yes. I’ve already drained you of a lot of blood – which by the way, was
delicious.” Robert’s tongue quickly swept across his lips, his teeth
glinting ever so slightly. “All you have to do
is drink from me and from your first victim.”
“My first victim?”
Just then, Robert’s friend in the Dracula costume walks into the room, carrying Kandise’s body.
“Oh my god, did you kill her?” My question was barely a whisper.
Robert responded. “No. But to prove your loyalty to me, she will be your first victim.”
Some of the magic that I was feeling dissolved at
his words. I couldn’t look away from Robert, but I wanted to. I wanted
to look at Kandise, I wanted to save my friend. Tears pooled over my
eyes and I had to blink to see again. I was not
a murderer. I knew I would have to kill people, but I thought it would
be strangers. I could maybe handle strangers. But friends?
I could see Robert reading my thoughts. He didn’t
say anything though. We just stared at one another in silence. Him,
begging me to chose him. Me, begging him to spare my friend. Neither one
of us seemed to budge. On a sigh, Robert finally
spoke. “I guess your lack of an answer means I should let you go. I’ll
drop you off at the hospital, make sure you get a blood transplant – you
need it. Then I’ll leave. Don’t worry, both you and your friend will be
fine. I’m a man of my word. “
As Robert helped me to my feet, I threw myself at
him. I hugged him with all the strength I had, which wasn’t much. I
loved him. I would never let him go.
“I’ll do it.”
